COLLECTION NAME:
Undergraduate Thesis Collection
Record
Title:
Fashioning the First Lady: The Official Portrait of Michelle Obama
Creator:
Crosbie, Olivia Claire
Subject:
Thesis (B.F.A.) -- Art History
Subject:
Savannah College of Art and Design -- Department of Art History
Rights:
Copyright is retained by the authors or artists of items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Abstract:
“This thesis will examine the official portraits of the United States First Ladies and will pay particular attention to the evolving representation of women in power by investigating the portrait of former First Lady Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, painted by Amy Sherald in 2018. Furthermore, this thesis will explore the model of femininity that each portrait aims to reflect within the contexts of the lives of Martha Washington, Jaqueline Kennedy, and Michelle Obama. Analysis will feature biographical information of the First Ladies and an art historical examination of style and the changes of the First Lady image over time. It will also highlight the immense scrutiny a woman faces in this position and the visual manifestations of the First Ladies’ individual experiences, accomplishments, and unique characteristics. The portraits of Martha Washington and Jaqueline Kennedy will be examined as a comparison to the portrait of Michelle Obama and serve to further exemplify a change in the United States’ attitude toward the wife of the President and the increasingly important role they play as figureheads to the nation. This thesis will delve into the many facets of political portraiture through the lens of gender, race, and class concerning the visual representation of former First Lady Michelle Obama and will argue that the evolution of portraiture reflects the United States’ changing relationship with
societal expectations for women in domestic and political spheres.” –Abstract
Keywords: American portraiture, Amy Sherald, First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, Martha Washington, Michelle Obama, women’s roles.
societal expectations for women in domestic and political spheres.” –Abstract
Keywords: American portraiture, Amy Sherald, First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, Martha Washington, Michelle Obama, women’s roles.
Publisher:
Savannah, Georgia: Savannah College of Art and Design
Date:
2024-05
Format:
1 online resource: 1 PDF (Thesis, 62 pages, color illustrations)